Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Well - I'm going to call this one done. Hopefully the light will be a little better tomorrow so I can get a better picture. Very gray and dim inside today!

This was a big painting for me these days - and I learned a lot from it.
First of all, I am totally NOT set up to work well this size! I really think that 8 x 10 is as big as I can go comfortably with my current set up. 12 x 12 was really a struggle (though I am currently doing another one that size). And to make matters worse, one of the lights in my corner of my kids' playroom my studio has stopped working altogether, so I really had to improvise some lighting. I can get away with my Ott daylight lamp for small work, but it didn't work too well for this size.

I also learned that working larger is so much more than just scaling up what I would have done on a smaller piece. I have already painted a similar painting as a 6 x 6 piece. I had worked out the composition, colors, etc. at that size and figured it would be easy to then go larger. But the larger piece had all its own set of issues, so it was almost like starting from scratch. The challenge really pushed me out of my comfort zone.

Anyhow, this painting is of the HR Sawyer Schwinn Bicyclery in Haverhill, Massachusetts. I found out the company is over 100 years old - one of the oldest bicycle shops in America! How cool is that? I loved the way the shapes of the letters, the shadows and the building all came together as a composition. And I think the word "Bicyclery" is pretty neat, too ;-)

I am entering this painting in an upcoming juried exhibition, so we will see how it goes.....

Friday, January 25, 2013

Yep - being that there is only a week of the challenge left, and I still have two large paintings to finish up - I don't think I have any chance of hitting 30! Oh well. It has been fun to follow along and check out everyone's work anyways.....

This is one last painting for the "Reflections" show at MixtMedia Gallery in Ipswich, MA. I took the theme literally - painting all kinds of glass and other reflective surfaces for the show - some of my favorite things to paint! It is always interesting to see the effects of the reflections and the abstract shapes that are formed. For this one, I wanted to add a little bit of a pattern to the challenge. It definitely kept me on my toes!

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Yes, I know I am behind at this point! I think I will just see how close to 30 I can get, but knowing how many obligations I have in the next two weeks, I think it will end up being closer to 20 ;-(

I'm not going to stress about it though. I have to get ready for a few gallery shows, so I don't really have the time to do some quick little ones right now to try to get caught up.

There had been quite a bit of discussion lately about the daily painting movement and whether it is a good or bad thing. I think it really depends on the artist, and at what point in their work and career they are at. For me, it is really good discipline and it is like exercising a muscle. It is really helping me advance my skills. But then again, I don't really force myself to finish a painting in a day if I truly think it is not ready. I DO think it is important for ME to paint everyday (or close to it) and it is secondary whether or not I actually finish a piece.

Anyhow, I did miss a few days painting this weekend due to family obligations, but this one is now done and will be going to the "Reflections" exhibition at MixtMedia Gallery in Ipswich later this week.

Friday, January 18, 2013

This is where I fall behind....this one is already a day late, and I've got a busy family weekend coming up. And the kids have Monday off from school. So, I guess I'm just going to have to see what I can do, and then try to catch up later next week. Maybe.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Yep - two posts in one day! But now I am caught up ;-)
AND halfway through the challenge - woohoo!

I needed another break from the snowy New England weather, so this time - instead of the beach like earlier this week - I am rambling down the roads of northern Maine. Miles and miles of old farms and fields that seem to go on forever. I love those fields! The colors, the rolling hills, I just always picture my spirit flying above them as I look out the car window as we drive....

Playing catch-up today... I was just too tired to finish this one up last night....

The "Fleeting Moment" of the title refers to a number of things here: the few moments that the sun lights up the tips of the flowers and makes them glow, and also those fleeting moments of childhood where my young boys gifted me grubby handfuls of dandelions just because "they are such pretty flowers, Mommy", and those fleeting moments that the dandelions will actually last in the glass before they droop and drop white fluff making me sad I couldn't hold on to them for longer.

This painting will be going to MixtMedia Gallery for the Reflections show later this month.

Monday, January 14, 2013

I love little colored glass bottles and tiny vases, and am always looking for ways to put them in my still lifes. The theme for an upcoming exhibition at a gallery I show at is "Reflections" so I immediately thought of these little glass bottles that I got from a seller on Etsy. I set them up in different ways on a mirror - I wanted there to be all kinds of wonderful abstract colored shapes that come together as bottles when viewed altogether. I'm still playing around with the concept - I'm sure I will revisit it at some point.

Technically I am caught up with the challenge even though this one took a little longer to complete than some of the others. I had gotten used to being one ahead and posting the night before, so I feel like I am still behind, even though this will be posted on the right day! I can't believe we are approaching the halfway point.....

This painting will be available at MixtMedia Gallery in Ipswich, Massachusetts later this month.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

I had so much fun at the beach yesterday, that I decided I need to return today!
The waves are fun to paint - it is nice to work quicker and looser on these - especially compared with the painting of colored glass that I am working on now, and hopefully, will finish tonight.
I also kept thinking about how nice two of these little beach paintings would look matted and hung together.....

Anyways, back to the bottles - hope to be officially "caught up" on the Challenge tomorrow.

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Yes, I missed a day!
Crazy day yesterday, plus I decided to start on a slightly larger painting, so nothing got completed. But the rules of the painting challenge give us two days to catch up, so I am going to give it a try.

Anyhow, the boys are off skiing and I have a touch of the winter blues on this dreary grey day, so I decided to spend a little time "at" the beach today. Summer dreaming!

With this 30 Day Challenge, I am going to try to use ACEOs and some little mini canvas paintings to help break up the time I need to spend on some exhibition pieces. Otherwise, I will never get 30 paintings done in 30 days, but also I am wondering if being more productive will actually help me focus a little better. And, I can also offer some of these little ones up for sale now, without having to hold everything for upcoming shows. It is probably going to be difficult, but then that is why they call it a "challenge," right?

Thursday, January 10, 2013

The last of the marbles for now, so I had to do a triple! This one got a little complex.
The marbles have been a lot of fun to paint, so I'm sure I will be re-visiting them as a subject at some point.

The whole little grouping of marble paintings will be going to MixtMedia Gallery in Ipswich, MA at the end of the month for the "Reflections" show. Now to start some slightly larger pieces for that show....

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Still sticking with it at Day 9! I hope to focus a little better - I really need to get a little ahead since I need to work on some larger pieces for upcoming exhibitions - all due by the end of the month! I'm not sure why my brain is wandering so much - I was hoping that working in little series would help keep me focused, but I'm finding it tough. At least the 30 Daily Challenge is making me get things finished and posted. Now if it could also add a few hours to the day......

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Yes, I know - "Heart of Glass" like the Blondie song....I couldn't get it out of my head the whole time I was painting this one!

My son is not happy that I "borrowed" the marbles he got for Christmas! I'm hoping to squeeze in two more of these little paintings before he takes them back. My kids always know when I start eyeing one of their toys (or some of their candy ;-) that I've got an idea for a painting in my head.......

Monday, January 7, 2013

Marbles! I've wanted to paint glass marbles for a while - and when I heard the theme for the next show at MixtMedia Gallery is "Reflections" I thought it would be the perfect opportunity! I was considering doing a long vertical painting with marbles, but I decided to do these little ones to practice first - and now I'm thinking I may do 3 or 4 of these to hang together instead.

The marbles are so interesting to paint. You get all caught up in the abstract shapes and swirls - and then it starts all coming together and actually ends up looking like a marble! The blue marble in this painting keeps making me think of a snow globe.....

Sunday, January 6, 2013

After I finished the apples from yesterday, my mind just screamed at me "STRAWBERRIES"! So here they are....another one in the Relationships Series. With the spot varnish the berries really "pop"!

I'm always glad to add a few paintings to this series...they are fun to do, and the series has been really popular with my collectors. At some point I need to look back and see how many I have done, I know I have sold at least 10-12 pieces in this series, and I rarely have more than 3 or 4 available for very long. This pair (the apples and the strawberries) will be going to West Village Provisions in West Boxford, MA this week.

Thanks for stopping by my blog - I really appreciate all the people keeping up with me and this 30 Day Challenge!

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Yep - a bit of a break from the flowers. And a break from the other pieces I was going to do as well. I have one or two of these in my head, so I thought I'd go ahead and get them on paper. This is part of My "Relationships" series - they are all fruits and/or vegetables in acrylic on watercolor paper with just their shadows and a plain unpainted background. I then varnish the painted areas only, and they really "pop" off the paper.

I like the way that acrylic works on the cold pressed watercolor paper. I work it in kind of a watercolor style - lots of thin layers. And when I do these pieces where I leave the background white, there are no do-overs - if I get a stray mark on the white, there is no way to lift it off. I had one night when I was working on a few of these that I needed to finish and I was really tired - I kept nodding off and my brush would make a stray mark on the page and I would have to start all over again! I do like how acrylic looks on the paper though, and I always say I have to experiment with it a little more - maybe it will happen this year ;-)

Friday, January 4, 2013

Day #4 of the 30 Day Challenge......
This challenge has truly helped me focus a bit better. My concentration seems to be slipping lately......my mind has been wandering and I am finding it hard to stay focused on the piece I am working on. The Challenge is adding a little push to help me at least complete each little work and to get it posted before the day is over. I am getting really nervous about the larger pieces I need to do for later in the month though. I could keep with the minis indefinitely, but I have some exhibitions to prepare for.

The theme for the first show I need to work on is "Reflections". I have some ideas, but nothing is screaming "PAINT ME"! I think I may play with a few small pieces with bits of my ideas to see if they spark anything. I plan to take the theme literally - I love working with glass, mirrors, water, etc, so I am thinking of a few still lifes along that line.

Hopefully I will be able to keep the posts up over the weekend - finding weekend time to paint with the boys all home is often a challenge. I will keep checking on Leslie Saeta's blog to see how everyone is keeping up!But A Memory will soon be available at West Village Provisions in West Boxford, MA.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Day Number 3 of the 30 Day Challenge.
Detecting a theme yet?
Well, at least for a few days!
I need some small pieces to take to West Village Provisions - I can take these there AND these are actually studies for some larger pieces I would like to do. I would love to be doing these floral pieces REALLY large, however I am not quite set up for that at this point. But I will be doing a few of them as 8 x 10 or 12 x 12 at some point.

I am having fun with these little 3 x 4 inch canvases. They are thinner than my normal canvases (these are around 3/8" instead of 3/4") - hence the lower prices I am charging for them. They do look really cute hung together, or on mini easels, so I am going to work through this bunch of them that I have. I think they will work well for upcoming shows as well. I am starting to get nervous about some of the larger pieces I need to get done this month, so I think in the next few days I will just have to close my eyes and jump on in....

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

The first painting for the first day of the year!
I am participating in Leslie Saeta's 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge, so this is painting number one for me. I guess the challenge doesn't formally start until tomorrow, but hey - I'm ready!

I hope to use this challenge to help build up my inventory of little works and ACEOs. The holiday shows pretty much cleared me out of most of the little ones and I want to have more to put on Etsy and for upcoming shows. I also need to complete a few larger works this month for some upcoming exhibitions, so I guess my keyword for this month with be BALANCE. Let's see how it goes ;-)

This 3 x 4 inch painting will be offered for a few days on my blog, and then it will be available at West Village Provisions in West Boxford, MA until the end of February.

Retro roadside art.....Join me as I paint my way around New England, capturing favorite signs and buildings that are quickly disappearing from our landscape - with some classic cars and vintage toys thrown in for fun.

Want to purchase a painting shown - or commission one of your own? Please contact me at DShirleyArt@yahoo.com for more information.